Elfland
by kumar LaVoixDuSud
Summary: This is a fairy-tale. If you like fairy-tales then, you are welcome to read this story. A tiny fairy, an elven boy and a baby Dragon start for an adventure on the outskirts of Du Weldenvarden. They will face unforeseen perils and make unexpected friendships. Warning: Inheritance spoilers. Fírnen, Arya, Murtagh, Thorn.
1. Corolla Calyx

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland. **

_"__O, sweet and far from cliff and scar_

_The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!"_

_– Alfred Tennyson_

**1. Corolla Calyx.**

The fairy flew among the lilies, stroking the pink and white flower buds with the edges of her translucent wings. She lifted behind her a yellow dust-cloud of pollen that caused a series of loud and repetitive sneezes afflicting two caterpillars and a bee.

'Oh, I apologise! I was not really intending to bring such an unpleasant condition to such honorable citizens of the forest like yourselves; but unfortunately for me, the lilies have distracted my attention, and I found it hard to resist the temptation to fly among them.'

One of the caterpillars used her almost transparent handkerchief – a precious gift woven by the spider – to dry her nose.

'Never mind, my dear,' she said hoarsely clearing her throat 'but in future, you have to be more careful.'

The tiny fairy stood on the palmate leaf of the maple tree, and there she shook off the yellow residues of pollen that had powdered her golden blond hair and arms. Suddenly, a couple of sunbeams penetrated the foliage and fell on her face vertically, triggering her to notice the position of the sun.

'I am late!' she shouted at anyone interested in listening to her, using her crystal, lustrous voice. A bird responded with a melodious song from a branch on the tree. 'Our fair lady will have already arrived and it would be almost impossible for me to become a part of her royal escort.'

With a swift and decisive move she adjusted properly her blue cap – made of the inverted leaves of a decapitated flower-bell – she straightened her dry-grass-made skirt around her waist and flew as fast as her gossamer wings could fly towards the Elven city, humming a pleasant tune.

'I would come with you to greet our fair lady,' the bumblebee said, flying by her side for a while 'but I am very busy collecting as much pollen as possible for my own queen and her buzzing children.'

The fairy smiled at the bumblebee, and making a curtsey movement in the air, she sent two kisses goodbye at her and continued her swift flying. Although she had started out early from her home, which consisted of a formerly abandoned, but firmly constructed bird's nest resting on an age-long pine, with the many lovely distractions that intersected her path, one could bet on her delay.

The white rabbit, fighting against the brown hare about the ownership of a carrot, had asked for her arbitration; the squirrel who had accidentally scattered all his acorn stuff out of his nest and she willingly helped him gather it; the colourful lilies which stained the green grass so lovingly ...

She was already late for the welcoming of the fair Queen, but if she flew swiftly and rapidly using her transparent wings, she might still manage to pay her respect. A position in the Queen's escort, even among the last ones, was for her – the tiny fairy Corolla Calyx, no bigger than the middle finger of your hand – all she had ever dreamed. So, she resolutely continued her flight.

She would have reached her destination, albeit a little late, if the strange, repetitive sound coming from the root of the giant pine tree in the middle of the clearing had not attracted her attention. Full of curiosity – all her life was dominated by curiosity – she strayed again and approaching the large pine tree, she saw him!

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**A/N:** I feel the need to thank **Restrained Freedom** from the depths of my heart for his constant help and support.

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Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	2. Salty Dew Drops

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_"__She would twine her hand in his mane: _

_She would prattle in silvery tone, _

_Like the tinkle of summer-rain – _

_Questioning him with her laughing eyes, _

_Questioning him with a glad surprise. _

_Till she caught from those fierce eyes again _

_The love that lit her own."_

_– __Lewis Carroll._

**2. Salty Dew Drops.**

The boy was seated on a thick layer of the brown pine needles, his back leaning against the tree trunk, his legs bent, his knees pulled close to his chest and his hands clenched in two small fists against his eyes. His half-open lips and the fast panting of his chest produced this strange sound that had attracted the fairy's attention.

Corolla fluttered briefly in front of the boy's face, mimicking the colourful butterfly that was already there. Then she flew around his head tickling his ears with the edges of her wings. She minded from getting tangled in his long, uncombed hair, where many dry pine needles had stuck, and when she realised she was unable to make him notice her, she kissed his cheek playfully.

Green, wet eyes opened and threw an annoyed glance at her.

'Leave me alone! I am very sad today' the boy said and he let a deep sigh escape his lips. On his cheeks shone many dense, transparent drops.

The fairy noticed a small, pear-wood flute abandoned and soundless on the fallen pine needles at the boy's side, and she looked questionably at the butterfly, who was already balanced on the mouthpiece of the wooden instrument, slowly folding her wings.

'Why are you so sad today, boy?'

The boy just shrugged and continued uttering the same strange sounds.

'The same thing has been happening for quite some time now' said the butterfly. 'He is not speaking, but only sighing.' Then she flew up in the air fluttering her colourful wings.

'But now you're here to keep him company, I am free to leave. I am awaited in town, in the hall of the feast, along with my sisters. We have to decorate the flower-pots and the embroidered tablecloths for the dinner in honor of the Queen.' And the butterfly nodded goodbye.

The fairy smiled and patted the boy's clenched fists with her palms.

'If you are so utterly sad then, I had better tell you one of my stories.'

Her sensitive heart could not bear to see such a great sadness. Normally, he should be playing his flute for her, and have her dancing around him.

For the first time, the boy uncovered his eyes and sniffled woefully.

'I do not wish to listen to your stories … I am so sad and …'

'Will you play your flute for me to dance then?' the fairy tried to distract his attention from his sadness.

'I do not wish to play my flute for you either' the boy said sobbing. 'I do not even know who you are!'

The fairy stood on the pine needles at a short distance and made a graceful curtsey.

'My name is Corolla Calyx, at your service! Will you play your flute for me to dance now?'

She usually danced under the silver moonlight, by the banks of the blue lake she inhabited, where the branches of the giant trees shadowed the crystal-clear waters. However, if she was to distract him from his sadness, she could do it wholeheartedly now.

'What will you give me if I play my flute?' the boy said with a calculative tone in his voice.

'Whatever you wish!' answered Corolla the fairy.

'I want three silver moonbeams and one star-kiss.' His wet eyes shone with the perspective of an unexpected profit.

The fairy stood in full consideration for a while.

'You can have two silver moonbeams, but no star-kiss. It is very expensive to waste it for the melody of a wooden flute performed by a boy.'

The slight vividness that had appeared on the boy's face was lost instantly, as new drops shone in his eyes and ran over his cheeks. The fairy, upset by the boy's returning distress, lifted herself in the air once more, on the same level with the boy's face.

'Then we could go swimming in the rivulet.' Corolla suggested, unable to stand so much grief. 'I am in a terrible haste, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes for fun.'

'I'm not in the mood for that either' the boy scowled.

'At least let's go play, splashing the waters.'

The boy did not answer this time, but he placed his hand on his small, wooden flute subconsciously. The fairy fluttered in front of his eyes once again.

'The dew dripping from your eyes …' As the bead of wet rolled down his cheek, she touched it with her fingertip and then she put the finger in her mouth. 'It is salty!'

'Of course it is salty, it is called a tear-drop,' the boy said 'and I am crying.'

The fairy grew serious as she listened to the boy's statement. She had heard that word 'crying' before, and she realised the great seriousness of the situation.

'What are you crying for, boy?'

'I've slipped and fallen and have scratched my knee.'

The fairy landed on the injured knee and noticed some drops of blood thriving there out of a deep cut.

'Oh! It is the red flower that needs washing … How has this happened?'

Again the boy said nothing.

'At least, let's go to the rivulet' the fairy insisted. 'There, I will wash the red blooming flower from your knee and lighten you mood. And, perhaps later, you would agree to play on your flute for me to dance.'

'I wouldn't agree to play my flute for you, I am not in the mood, I've told you' the boy maintained stubbornly, as the same desperate sounds continued coming out of his lips.

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**A/N:** I feel the need to thank **Restrained Freedom** from the depths of my heart for his constant help and support.

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Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	3. An Unpleasant Name

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_"A rosy child, _

_Sitting and singing, in a garden fair, _

_The joy of hearing, seeing, _

_The simple joy of being -_

_Or twining rosebuds in the golden hair_

_That ripples free and wild."_

_– Lewis Carroll._

**3.** **An Unpleasant Name. **

The fairy collected a few salty dew drops in her palms, as they dripped from the boyish cheeks, and tried to wash the red, booming flower on the torn knee with them.

'It doesn't work' the boy said. 'I've tried to do the same earlier, but it hurts.'

The fairy looked at him in the eye, deeply sympathizing.

'How did you hurt your knee?'

'I hurt it while I was running.'

'Why were you running, boy?'

'I was in a hurry!'

His last words made her remember her own hastiness.

'I am in a hurry too' she said, as she sat cross legged on the injured knee, minding not touching the red flower. 'Our fair lady will already be in town, and as late as I am, I keep only the slightest hope of joining her official escort.'

The boy nodded his head in understanding.

'That was the reason I was passing through the clearing! I was running as fast as my legs could go, when I stumbled over a tree root.'

'Were you going to meet our fair lady too? I happen to have known her since she was a young princess, wondering in the forest.'

The boy remained silent. He had heard the beautiful princess' story from the elders, but she had not shown herself in a long time, and that was long before his first glimpse of the light of the moon.

The fairy picked up a few of the wildflowers that stood out timidly around the edges of the pine-needle circle and dealt with having them entwined in the boy's hair.

'You should comb your hair more often' she told him as she combed his rich curls using her fingers. 'Although then, my flowers would not have stuck so easily. Well, were you going to meet the fair lady? '

The boy shook his head, causing a yellow daffodil to escape from its place and fall.

'On the contrary! I was trying to avoid to be presented to her by my guardians.'

The fairy fluttered once again in front of his face, touching the tip of his nose.

'You must be joking!'

'Not at all!' the boy had already forgotten his previous crying and his eyes were draining from moisture. 'I feel ashamed to be presented in front of her because I do not like the name that was given to me.'

The fairy, with her ringing laughter, went on arranging the rest of the flowers around his brown hair, adorning his frowned brow.

'What is the matter with your name? It cannot be worse than mine, or so many others.'

'I don't like it!' the boy insisted stubbornly and, grabbing his wooden flute from the fallen pine-needles, he stood up to leave disturbing a long line of ants, going marching one by one, as soldiers do, and carrying seeds towards their nest.

'Attention!' their leader shouted. 'Attention and Stand at Ease! Watch your step, master Ragweed! We may be short, but very capable and useful!'

'I apologise, master Sergeant, I haven't noticed you' the boy grumbled and continued on his way.

'Master Ragweed?' the fairy asked bewildered, approaching the leader of the ants and, helping him get up, she dusted off his stained military jacket.

'Squad, atten-shun (attention)! Right shoulder, ARMS!' All the ants stood in attention in front of the fairy, each one holding his seed on his shoulder. 'Thank you miss,' their leader said, 'If everyone had your sensitivity …' Then, he turned towards his men. 'To the Front! Left – Right, Left – Right!' and the ants departed, the one after the other.

The fairy flew hastily to catch up with the boy.

'Ragweed?'

'Yes, Ragweed Mustard-seed, this is my name.'

'Oh!' Corolla flew beside the boy's face. 'What a weird name!'

The boy merely gave her a wounded look.

'Well, are we going to the rivulet?' the fairy fluttered around the decorated head.

'One cannot get rid of you very easily, can they?' With his hands on his hips and ready for a squabble, the boy blew away the fairy.

'I will wash your knee …'

'I will do it myself!'

'That's what friends are for. And then, I will dance on the tune you will play for me on your flute.'

'Αfter you gave me the three silver moonbeams and the star-kiss!'

'Two silver moonbeams and no star-kiss!' The fairy was equally hard in bargaining. 'Do not forget that I could dance in front of the fair lady, under the sound of the golden flutes.'

'Well, then, you have better go there!' the boy stated stubbornly, stamping his good leg on the dirt and shaking his hair to throw away the decorating flowers. 'I am still very sad.'

Limping, he took his way towards the rivulet at a slow pace, and the fairy followed him flapping her wings. On the way, she lingered for a few moments to exchange pleasantries with the squirrel and kiss the small flower-bell, similar to the one she used as a hat. But soon, she reached him again, humming a merry tune around his ear.

'If I wash and comb your hair and adorn you in the rivulet, you will become very handsome. Then, the fair lady will pay all her attention to your graces, forget your name instantly and ...'

… and, at that moment, two pairs of eyes saw the creature for the first time!

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**A/N:** I feel the need to thank **Restrained Freedom** from the depths of my heart for his constant help and support.

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Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	4. The Green Creature

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_"__Ye golden hours of Life's young spring, _

_Of innocence, of love and truth!_

_Bright, beyond all imagining, _

_Thou fairy-dream of youth!"_

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**4. The Green Creature. **

The creature was basking lazily on a flat stone surrounded by water and nestled among the water lilies. An eddy in the rivulet had conspired to form the small pond, and from above a lonely sunbeam penetrated the dense foliage of the trees to create a single ray of airy light.

The fairy – flying with all the might of her wings – was the first one to draw closer to the creature, and she landed on the leaf of a water lily by its side.

'What are you?' she asked it, her voice full of curiosity. She had never seen anything quite like this before in her life.

'Why do you ask?' The creature possessed a deep, but melodic voice and despite its appearance – its body appeared to be covered by hard, green scales, as well as tiny, white spikes – it seemed rather friendly.

'It is a bird, don't you see? It has wings!' The warm honeyed sound of the solitary sunbeam's voice touched their ears.

'Well, are you a bird?' the fairy inquired. Her natural curiosity led her to ask more questions; it was inevitable that she would try to satisfy it.

'I am not a bird!' the creature answered and looked at the fairy and the boy with round, amber eyes.

'Of course you are a bird, you have wings' the sunbeam insisted, as she caressed the velvet membranes that rested folded on the creature's robust shoulders, and threw an extra sheen on the spikes of its back.

'It looks rather like a lizard to me' the boy said. Standing on the bank he had noticed the four legs with the hard talons. What kind of bird had ever had four legs? That silly sunbeam always peeked from above, without paying much of attention to anything else.

'I am neither a bird, nor a lizard' the green creature claimed. 'I am a Dragon!'

The boy and the fairy looked at each other in amazement. Once, the boy had happened to see the huge, three-legged Golden one flying at a low altitude above the clearing, and had hurried to hide himself, startled. This little creature resembled him in nothing.

'Can you breathe fire?' he asked it, as he knelt on the golden moss that covered the stones of the bank, the injured knee already forgotten.

'Of course I can breathe fire, I am a Dragon!'

'Well, can you do it now?' the boy insisted.

'I will do it when the mood suits me' the creature answered, but nevertheless, it released a snort of displeasure complete with a small puff of black smoke.

The boy leaned on the bank and stretched out his hand to reach the green creature. The tip of his finger got pricked by a pointy spike of the short tail.

'Well, you do not look like a Dragon to me,' he said doubtfully. 'Once, I had seen the great Golden one breathe fire … and he was not at all like you.'

The fairy flew and landed cautiously on the creature's back, trying to unfold the one of its folded wings carefully. The creature yawned, sticking a long, forked tongue out of its maw, and stretched indolently as it splashed through the water descending from the stone it was seated. The lonely sunbeam had already travelled above the surface of the foliage to meet her sisters.

'I am still a baby Dragon' the creature said pompously. It's been only a few days since I have hatched from my egg and have been bonded with my chosen one, and after long centuries of patient waiting in there.'

The fairy and the boy looked at each other with awe.

'What is your name?' they asked the little Dragon.

'I have not chosen my name yet, but you can call me "Green" and I am a "he". What is yours?'

'Oh, I do not like my name, that's why I am so sad today …' trailed the boy coyly.

'His name is Ragweed Mustard-seed,' added the fairy 'and I am Corolla Calyx, a fairy of the elven forest.' She held the edge of the velvet, Dragon-wing carefully and shook it gently three times to seal their acquaintance.

'Ragweed Mustard-seed, Corolla Calyx, very glad to meet you,' the Green one said.

The three of them splashed and sloshed around the cool water of the rivulet and the pond with the water lilies. The injured knee, as well as the sadness, were forgotten; the wooden flute sounded its treble, sharp tone; the fairy danced on the leaves of the water lilies, and the little Dragon imitated her movements trampling clumsily on the bank, flapping his translucent wings and keeping the rhythm by tapping his tail on the wet pebbles. A pair of water snakes copied the movements of this improvisational dance, adding to the sharp flute sound their own hissings, while the birds were fluttering around upset because of the fuss.

When they finally got tired, the fairy narrated one of her funny stories, involving the wild ferrets of the forest. The little Dragon listened to her carefully and the boy endured her fingers combing through his hair, and then, the twinning of the fresh water flowers among his locks.

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**A/N:** I feel the need to thank **Restrained Freedom** from the depths of my heart for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	5. Garland

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_"All too soon will Childhood gay _

_Realise Life's sober sadness. _

_Let's be merry while we may, _

_Innocent and happy Fay!_

_Elves were made for gladness! _

_– Lewis Carroll. _

**5. ****G****arland.**

'Good and ready!' Corolla exclaimed, as she had finished her meticulous effort. She flew around him, admiring her work. 'I dare say that, as far as I can tell, you have never been more handsome.'

Approaching the small, still pond, formed by the rivulet, the boy peered over the water's edge to see his reflection gazing back at him. He watched his image with evident satisfaction. If the flowers, twined in his hair, were so beautiful, then maybe the fair lady would overlook the crumpled and dirty clothes, as well as the unpleasant name. Almost as if she had heard his thoughts, Corolla interjected with her clever idea.

'In fact, I think I have found the proper name for you!' the fairy clapped her hands jovially. 'Garland! Tell me, has anyone ever had a more pleasant name?'

'Garland …' the boy repeated with utmost satisfaction adorning his face. 'That name sounds very appropriate for one to be presented in front of the Queen.' He bent over the water once again, watching his reflection for another few minutes; whistles of pleasure escaping through his lips. 'Garland! I like my new name!'

Then he stood, held both the fairy's hands carefully with the tips of his fingers, and started jumping, laughing, dancing and spinning himself around quickly. In his elation, he dragged Corolla with him, whirling her around, until a wave of dizziness hit her. After he had jumped and spun enough, he fell on the grass beside the pebbles, panting.

'You are very clever' he admired the fairy's smartness – who, stumbling from dizziness and dripping with sweat, was trying to clinch her blue hat in her hair. 'I would never have thought about changing my name to another, and one so beautiful.'

'I agree!' the little Dragon approved. 'The name Garland sounds much better than the name Ragweed, master Mustard-seed.'

The boy frowned. The second-name Mustard-seed was not suitable to be heard after a so beautiful and appropriate name, like this one he had been gifted by the fairy.

'Garland! Just … Garland.'

The boy laughed as he happily picked up his wooden flute. And then he started playing again, he himself dancing according to his tune, as they followed the path along the water. A few birds were lured into participating, adding to the high-pitched sound of the wooden flute their own, more sweet melodies.

Corolla the fairy got excited. The dances and festivities were her "forte", and if they had happened spontaneously it was even better. Sometimes whirling in the air, some others flying playfully around the boy's adorned hair, or even fluttering between Garland and the little Green, she performed her better dancing figures.

At the beginning, the small animals that had come to quench their thirst on the cool waters of the rivulet ran excitedly here and there. But once they realized that this strange trio, trampling on the shore and creating such a fuss, posed no danger, but only yielded joy and fun, they each participated as they liked.

Their jumping, leaping, frolicking and happily running about the wet pebbles of the bank had begun to upset the rivulet, when suddenly …

_… snap! …_

It sounded like twigs breaking and light steps crackling on the fallen, dry leaves. All the birds and the little animals, following their instincts, scurried to hide behind the security of the dense foliage, one after the other. Someone was coming …

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**A/N:** I feel the need to thank **Restrained Freedom** from the depths of my heart for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	6. The Fair Lady

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_"__Ah! What form is entering? _

_Lovelit eyes and laughter airy!_

_Is not this a better thing, _

_Child, whose visit thus I sing, _

_Even than a Fairy?"_

_–__Lewis Carroll. _

**6. The Fair Lady.**

'Someone is coming!' Corolla the fairy was the first who noticed the movement among the trees and the figure approaching with long strides.

Both the fairy and the boy hid out under the thick foliage trying to stay still, while the little Green one remained on the wet pebbles by the pond, looking around him puzzled.

'Come, come …' the fairy whispered to the Dragon, but he seemed to not understand the reason of such a panic, and why everyone tried to either escape or hide.

'I do not wish to be found,' the boy said softly. 'They will make me go back to my teachers. What a bore!'

'O my little Green one!' the most rich and melodious voice they had ever heard sounded exquisitely as she spoke. At the same instant, a tall, slender elf-woman with long, dark hair and a silver circlet adorning her proud brow, appeared beside the water. 'Were you hiding from me here, all this time while I was looking for you?'

With two leaps the little Dragon jumped onto the elf-woman's arms, rejoicing upon seeing her, as she touched her cheek on his snout tenderly.

'Look! She is the fair Lady!' the fairy shouted, and the very next moment she rushed out of her hiding place. The boy was left alone, only his flower adorned head could be spotted among the foliage. 'Beautiful Queen of the elves, I humbly pay my respects! I am your faithful subject, Corolla Calyx, always at your service' an enthusiastic Corolla said, fluttering between the little Dragon and the tall elf-woman, interrupting their tender embracement. 'May the stars protect you, my fair Queen!'

The dark-haired Queen smiled and stretched out her hand – the center of her palm shimmered with a silver light – offering it as a seat for the tiny fairy.

'May the peace live in your heart, my dear Corolla. As I can see, you have already met my little Green one, but I would like you to keep his presence here a secret. It is my desire, that no one yet learn about his existence!'

The fairy, after making a funny curtsey, swore secrecy in the ancient language; and then she remembered about the boy, who watched the beautiful Queen, fascinated and half hidden among the foliage.

'Allow me to present to you the boy Garland, fair lady' Corolla the fairy said. 'We will keep your secret, after he swears the oath too.' And pulling the dense foliage aside, she presented the boy, fallen on all fours.

The Queen smiled and let the little Dragon descend from her lap. The Green one approached the boy instantly and started romping around him happily.

Garland, with flushed cheeks – he had left the Queen waiting for so long – came out of his hiding place. He repeated the typical greetings his teachers had taught him to use, he paid his respects to the Queen and swore to keep the little Green's existence a secret.

'Glad to meet you, sir Garland!' The Queen gave an elegant courtesy and then she touched her silver marked palm on his brown locks. 'It is an honour for me to make the acquaintance of one of the few elven boys in our forests; and it really gives me a great pleasure to see that my little Green one is so friendly to you. I would say that a little Dragon could not choose better friends than a fairy and a boy.'

The Queen's last comment won a happy smile from Garland that illuminated his boyish face, and caused the fairy's cheery flutter. But the Queen had another gift to bestow.

'For your great service of offering to my Green one your friendship and companionship, both of you, sir Garland and fairy Corolla, are declared as his protectors and honourable escort; as well as invited to dine at the royal table. May the stars protect you.' And speaking like that, she lifted the little, green Dragon in her arms, and accustomed to being obeyed by her subjects, she headed towards the elven town, without looking behind her to see if the entourage followed.

'What are you waiting for?' The fairy pulled one of the boy's long, brown locks. 'Let's follow the Queen to the town!'

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**A/N:** I feel the need to thank **Restrained Freedom** from the depths of my heart for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	7. The Feast

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_"__I see the feast – the purple and the gold;"_

_ – __Lewis Carroll._

**7. The Feast. **

The huge trees had grown, one beside the other, and their trunks formed a large, rectangular hall. The roof of the hall was shaped by the giant branches and the green leaves, which protected the interior from any outside element. This place often served the elves as a consultation room during their meetings about any serious state matter requiring the presence of the majority populace of the town. It was also the main hall for their various elven festivities. In there, several adjacent tables had been prepared for the dinner in honour of the Queen.

A long line of elven lords and ladies entered one after the other in this wide, common hall of the town, all of them moving to occupy their own positions around the long dining table for the dinner. A higher seat than the others, formed by thick, twisted tree roots, green branches, blossoms and leaves, served as a throne to the Queen. The little green Dragon dozed away the afternoon, curled on a lower seat by the Queen's side. Around him a woven veil of magic hid his being, so that his presence was only visible to the boy Garland and Corolla the fairy, who sat proudly beside him.

'Hello cousin!' Corolla greeted the butterfly who, lending her own colorful wings to decorate the table, was there along with her sisters. The butterfly – concentrated on her serious task – gave an official nod at her, smiling faintly; her red and yellow wings ostentatiously stretched on the tablecloth, making a distinct contrast with the green and brown attires of the elves.

The boy – very careful not to be pierced by the sharp spikes – dropped his hand and rubbed above the Green's eyeridges; the little Dragon gave forth a soft crooning sound. At that moment the Queen clapped her hands and a group of elves raised their golden flutes to their lips, producing the most melodic sound the boy had ever heard. Slender elf-women filled the tables with loaves of freshly baked bread, steamy pies, juicy fruits and all kinds of sweets, while a long string of fireflies lit up the room, dancing to the music over their heads.

Garland forgot about the little Dragon and devoted himself to his filled plate. He wolfed a piece of cranberry pie letting the syrup drip from the edges of his lips and fingers. Without being able to restrict herself, Corolla danced in front of the Queen, altering between tapping her feet on the table in time to the music, fluttering around her head cheerfully, and whistling the tune to the rhythm of the flute. An elf-woman joined her melodious voice to the sound of music and sang an old song about the blooming of the flowers, the fruiting of the trees, the lakes and rivers as well as all the small and large animals, living in the vast forest.

Suddenly, the song ended and the tempo of music accelerated. Corolla whirled on the table around the half-empty platters of the fruits in heartbreaking speed. All the elven lords participated keeping the fast pace of the rhythm by clapping their hands and stamping their feet, as the tempo raced ever faster. Even the boy abandoned his plate with the half-eaten pie and started almost dancing in his seat, while the Queen smiled by his side.

A young male elf filled all the glasses with Faelnirv, and once the music ended, everyone drank to the new Queen's health. Corolla, panting from her fast dancing, grabbed her cup – constructed especially for her from the cupule of an acorn – and drank greedily her drink. The effect of Faelnirv quickly produced its results on the little fairy; Corolla continuously danced laughingly and joyously on the table with almost all the butterflies.

Finally, when she fell down dazed, the Queen took her in her palm laughingly and allowed her to sit on her royal shoulder, while she herself stood to enjoy dancing with each one of the elven lords who had asked her; and of course, the first one of them was sir Garland. The boy jumped and danced cheerfully, holding both the Queen's hands, while his brown curls were scattering petals and flowers all around the floor.

'Oh my, this drink is so strong, as strong as ten moonbeams spun all together!' the fairy chattered in the Queen's ear when she sat down at the table again. 'I think I can see right in front of me a strange, green creature.'

* * *

**A/N:** I believe that Fírnen 's presence has changed Arya's mental and emotional life for the better. I want to imagine her as happy as she has been in that feast.

* * *

**A/N:** A great thanks to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	8. Traveling In The Forest

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_"__I love the stillness of the wood: _

_I love the music of the rill:_

_I love to couch in pensive mood_

_Upon some silent hill."_

_ – __Lewis Carroll. _

**8. Traveling In The Forest.**

During the next few days, the Queen accompanied by her guards continued her tour of the elven forest. In her royal escort two more members had been added, the boy Garland and Corolla the fairy. The large, shady pines spread over them their branches, covering them with their dense foliage, and a few solitary sunbeams accompanied their course for a while, before disappearing in the shadows.

The little, green Dragon, sometimes with the fairy Corolla seated astride his folded wings, could be seen jumping joyously here and there, exploring for the first time in his life the endless beauty of nature, and making new acquaintances with the inhabitants of the vast forest. Garland alternated between playing on his flute and running behind them; the boy reveled in their company, away from pesky guardians and strict teachers.

Mornings were spent climbing up to the lower branches of the tall trees – Corolla was always the first one to reach there flying – and they would awaken the feathered residents inside their nests to welcome the fair lady with their songs.

The three of them would spend hours dashing into the streams, splashing around the waters, or jumping on the moss covered stones along the banks, while the Queen either watched, or joined them, refreshing herself in the clear waters and laughing happily. Everywhere they went they made acquaintances with the small and bigger animals that frequented there, or had built their nests around. The wild rabbit and the turtle, the ferret and the frog, the wild boar and the jackals, the hare and the deer were some of their new friends.

And then later when they would rest under the shadows, during the hot afternoons, or around the fire in the clearing at dusk, the Queen would narrate beautiful stories about the world of the humans; or she shared with them her adventures about the time she carried the blue egg of the great mother of all Dragons to be. While the great Dragoness was still a tiny creature, curled in the hard shell, long before she met her chosen one.

During those hours, all the elves would listen silently without interrupting laughter and constant prattle. And the little Green would settled securely by her side, or else cradled tenderly in her lap. Then the fairy and the boy would come to her other side and snuggle under her friendly arm. Many times, the little Green allowed small puffs of smoke to escape from his nostrils, as he dreamed of his great race. And every time he did this, the elves admired and praised him, as well as blessed their Queen for her luck to become a Dragon Rider. For all the attendees were trusted men and women, and had already sworn to keep the little Dragon's existence a secret. Until he would grow bigger, choose his name and become the fierce member of his kind that he was destined to be.

*****o***o***o.0.o***o***o*****

'I will miss the little Green one when he grows up' said the boy, one particular morning. Nostalgia shaded his voice, as if the Dragon's growth had already taken place.

'I am looking forward to the day he and I will fly together for the first time' Corolla mused, caressing with her tiny palm the folded, velvety wing of the Dragon.

'All things in good time!' the Queen commented, and then she allowed the three of them to play into the woods, while she gathered her warriors and advisors around her.

The royal expedition had already left far behind them the last elven town, and they had paused near the edges of their forest. Somewhere near – it was said – was where the great lake of the humans met the last trees, and around its waters extend the human settlements. Neither the boy Garland nor Corolla the fairy had ever reached so close to the borders of the elven lands. For the last few days they had encountered only small elven settlements or lonely residents of the forest. Now their curiosity about the human race was greatly excited.

'I have never seen the houses of the humans. Have you ever flown thus far?' the boy asked the lark, gaining only a melodic whistle.

But it was not Garland who exhibited the greatest curiosity, nor Corolla who was curious by her nature. It was the little Green, and he began to climb higher and higher up in the trees, and luring the other two to follow him, for he was determined to catch a glimpse of the waters of the lake from this height. The lake however, was still too far yet, and the only discernible thing on the horizon was the endless green foliage of the trees.

'I haven't seen the houses of the humans either' Corolla said. 'Yet, I have heard about the mountains and the surrounding hills one can meet towards this direction.'

However, as highly as they climbed on the trees, even if Corolla flew higher and higher, the dense foliage continued to hide the view of the hills in front of them. They often asked the birds while they were passing the shady paths of the forest, but no one was able to inform them about the latest news from the world of the humans. And no one believed the owl when she claimed she had seen the giant, red bird flying above the glade during the night.

'No red bird flies during the night' Corolla stated. 'That owl! She thinks she knows everything.'

* * *

**A/N:** I love Arya's tenderness in this chapter.

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	9. An Aching Cut

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_There is no rose without a thorn – _

_No thorn without a rose! _

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**9. An Aching Cut.**

It was a calm and warm early afternoon, when the Queen gave order to camp by a small pond. The cool waters of a flowing stream cascading down a knoll and forming a series of small waterfalls, as well as the surrounding vegetation had so impressed her, that she decided to spend the night in that enchanting glade. While the Queen's attendants worked to prepare a vegetable soup and fresh loaves of bread for the supper, the little Green accompanied by Corolla and Garland decided to go playing, exploring around the forest.

The great mountain range, rose along the northern end of the forest, located at a great distance to the right; and, according to the guards, their team had no intention of going in that direction. But the small, playful squirrels asserted that southerly and on the left, stood a lonely hill as a border to the elven forest and the humans' lands, the last one of the mountain range. Before even reaching to the foothills, one would pass many wide clearings with thick grass, where the elven horses came to graze. Corolla had heard the Queen talking with her guards all about her plans earlier; and now, the fairy was certain that not even this hill was located within their way. The fair lady's intention was to visit the wide clearings, then turn easterly before the forest edge, and return to the elven capital. The great lake, as well as the humans' settlements, were not included in the plan of her visits.

This knowledge saddened Garland greatly because the boy had hoped to meet the humans; or at least to see their houses from afar if they ascended to the top of the hill.

'You cannot climb so high' the hawk told him. The bird, having been encouraged by the little green Dragon, was chatting with him about hunting techniques when the boy expressed his intention. 'Only I can visit this altitude flying because up there I have built my nest.'

'Could I see the humans from atop?' Garland asked her full of curiosity, but the hawk merely smiled ironically, and continued giving her advice to the little Green about the hunting of the hare, and how one could detect him among the ferns from above.

Garland took his wooden flute he kept fastened in his belt all the time and he started playing a tune, while walking slowly among the shady paths. Corolla followed him flying at a small distance from his head and a short while later the little Green Dragon came running to join them. The new places and their inhabitants always impressed him greatly and he would never lose the chance for a little exploration inside the woods.

They drifted away from the camp playing, running and jumping around the forest. Indeed, the last few days, the little Dragon had started unfolding his wings more often fluttering, and he was already capable of gliding over short distances. Then, they saw the wide clearing just before them ... Completely desolated of the trees, only with many broken, discarded branches and leaves and ...

'No!' the fairy moaned. 'This is not the clearing ... Don't you see the cut and ruined tree trunks?'

It was as if the legs of some giants had been cut ... as if their limbs had been left crippled ... as if the empty lap of the mother earth had been abandoned in a deserted, futile waiting. The stumps of the ravaged trees still remained there screaming for the crime; while all around, the broken branches and the scattered, withered leaves filled the space stained with the dried, spilled juices, the blood of the trees.

The flute was silenced. All three of them wandered silently through the destruction, while salty dew drops ran like two rivers from the fairy's eyes.

The elves would be tolerant if the humans cut some half-dried and diseased trees once in a while, but not this stripping ... this devastation ... this crime ... and this was happening just on the outskirts of the vast forest.

'How could they? How?'

Corolla wept over the great destruction, while the boy lifted the little Green in his arms and silently rambled around the battered branches and leaves. Here, about the edges of the great forest, the Elven magic weakened and those wicked persons took advantage of the fact.

Suddenly, they heard the crying ...

Running thither, they saw it standing aside, at the edges of the looted area, and if they had not heard its groans they would have never noticed its deep wound.

The tree stood upright and proud, but with its guts gaping wide opened because of the heavy blow of an ax; the juices of his life dripping along with the resin down its bark. And it groaned ... it suffered ...

Without even speaking, but just glancing to one another, all three embraced the tree decidedly and they started sending all their love straight to its heart, speaking tenderly to comfort it and giving it courage to endure. Little by little the powers of their hearts penetrated the bark and reached up to the core of the injured tree. This continued until the gash seemed to be healed, the juices of its life ceased dripping and only a dark-brown scar remained on the bark, reminding this terrible wound. The painful groans eventually diminished until they stopped altogether.

'Who have committed such a crime?' Corolla asked the tree.

But the tree, busy with its recovering and deeply mourning the loss of its relatives, gave her no answer.

'They were all men from the human village.' It was the homeless woodpecker, the one who gave the answer. 'They came yesterday around noon and they cut all the trees. They heard neither the pleas for mercy, nor the moans and tears, but they continued on their evil task ... and continued ... They heard only their leader's yells who encouraged them to cut as many trees as they could. And we have been left orphaned and nestless …' The grieving woodpecker followed the way of the exile, weeping over his destroyed nest. 'And the axes resounded all over the forest …' His voice faded, as he himself disappeared among the debris of the trees.

'But why? WHY?'

Garland sat on his heels while the little Green came to roost speechless in his lap. Their childish souls had never before confronted a similar disaster. Corolla, as the older one, appeared the most sober and restrained. She flew near the boy's face and caressed gently his cheek with her slender hands.

'The trees will grow again, the forest will heal its wounds.'

'When? How many decades, centuries will it take?' Green eyes shone, filled with tears, anger, rage! 'We have to find them! We have to punish them!'

There, in front of the roots of the wounded tree, all three swore for revenge.

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	10. The Queen's Assembly

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_Child of the pure unclouded brow _

_And dreaming eyes of wonder!_

_Though time be fleet, and I and thou_

_Are half a life asunder, _

_Thy loving smile will surely hail_

_The love-gift of a fairy-tale. _

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**10. The Queen's Assembly.**

Following the humans' trail in the woods, the trio strayed even farther from their campsite. The criminals who had cut and hurt the trees, had dragged the bare trunks some distance; and somewhere there, near the wide clearings of the horses, they had lingered for their own reasons. Garland walked determinedly and Corolla flew up in the air above the boy's head. Only the little Green turned backwards every once in a while, sniffed at the air towards his chosen one, and his heart was filled with longing. But as he had taken the oath to revenge for the fallen trees, he followed the path along with his friends silently.

'This is terrible, terrible!' cawed the crow as he passed by hastily, so no one of them had the chance to speak to him. The dusk fell abruptly over the high treetops and the night followed with its stillness.

'Could you, please, light the way for us, so as not we lose the path?' Corolla the fairy asked the firefly.

'Are you attending the assembly too?' the firefly asked, and tried her best to strengthen the fire she kept in her belly.

'What kind of assembly?' Corolla and Garland asked simultaneously.

'But, the Queen's assembly, of course!' the firefly said.

'The Queen's?' The little Green rubbed his body against the boy's leg. 'Why?'

'Oh dear, haven't you heard?' the firefly being very upset, lost her sparkle for a moment. 'They took _him_! They found _him_ quenching his thirst at the brook alone, and they tied _him_, the villains!' Angry flashes of light emerged from the insect's belly. 'Then, they took _him_.'

'Who…?' Confusion captured the trio, but they didn't even have the time to complete their question because the clang of twelve cloven hooves resounded in the forest. And it was only at the last moment that they managed to step aside, as the big stag, followed by two does pierced the path like arrows.

'They have taken _him_! They have captured _him_! And we are late! Run, the Queen is awaiting!' the deers cried, and they disappeared from their sight, as if the shadows of the night had swallowed them.

'Who, who?'

'Come!' the firefly said, as she kept on lighting the path in front of them. 'The wide clearing is near and you will hear all about the bad news from the Queen herself.

The fairy, Garland and the little Dragon hurried after the firefly, as they looked at each other with curiosity, uneasiness starting in their hearts.

The end of the path led them to a wide clearing. The glow of the firefly had faded for some time now because of the glare of the moon, which fell generously from above.

'… and I hid in my burrow again, afraid that I might be spotted ...'

The low sound of the weak voice barely reached their ears.

A loud whinny, full of pain, ripped the air through the clearing and the moon lit up the beautiful, long mane of a mare, as she stood on her hind legs, kicking the air.

'Oh Hvitr, my prince!' the mare lamented. 'Where are you, my beautiful son?'

'She is Istalri,' the firefly said, 'the Queen of the horses!'

Two more mares stood by her side, supporting their Queen in her great grief. Forming a wide circle around them, many other animals stood silently and sorrowfully. One could see tears in most of the eyes, and the salty dew drops shone under the moonlight.

'…well hidden in my burrow, I saw them binding him.'

In the middle of the great circle, a badger stood alone, narrating.

'…and then they built a large cage using the branches of the trees they had previously cut.'

Voices of protest and wails filled the clearing, as Garland, Corolla and the little Green came closer, to hear and see better.

'As he refused to follow them, they imprisoned him in the cage ...' the badger shuddered. He raised his long hackles and his whiskers shone under the light of the moon.

New voices were heard in the clearing, protests, wails, angry shrieks. The badger continued.

'…he kicked and neighed ... but they laughed and shackled him ... they locked him … and … they took him far, far away ... beyond the elven forests, in the lands of the humans.'

So spoke the badger and then he sat aside very sad.

Swallowing her pain, the Queen of the horses came forward to speak to everyone.

'Such a thing would have never happened if our King was here. The humans had no right to be in our territory, they had no right to take our prince!'

'Animals of the forest!' shouted the other two mares who accompanied her. 'Will we permit them to rob us? To bind us? To imprison us?'

'Never!' all the others exclaimed. 'Punishment! Revenge!'

Istalri stretched her proud neck, causing her thick, red mane to wave like a flame.

'That is the reason I have called you here, animals of the forest. To decide what it is to be done.'

Tears of sorrow and despair were shed from the eyes of the beautiful mother. Garland, holding the little Green in his arms, could not bear any more to remain silent.

'Punishment! Revenge!' he cried and stepped in front of the mare with his fist raised. 'You cannot approach the human villages, for you are in danger to be enslaved too. We are young and tiny and we can go unnoticed. We will find the offenders, dear Queen,' the boy said, speaking on behalf of his two friends. 'We will travel far beyond the hill. We will chase them, and we will bring the prince back! If necessary, we will reach up to the human villages.'

'Yes! We will do it!' Corolla the fairy stated, uniting her voice with the boy's and fluttering around the majestic mare. The little, green Dragon expressed his agreement growling angrily, and releasing small puffs of smoke from his nostrils that wandered through the clearing.

'Punishment! Revenge!' all the animals cried, stamping their hooves, paws or claws on the ground.

'If our King was here, the humans would have never dared to abduct our prince,' Istalri complained. 'But since he is away along with the main herd, any help is valuable.' The mare touched her snout on the fairy's brow, then on Garland's and on the little Dragon's. 'Walk carefully up to the land of humans, and bring me back my son. May the stars protect you!' the Queen wished them, and after her all the other attending forest animals.

'Where the wide clearings end and the foot of the hill starts, there is a secret path' the old, gray wolf said. 'It will help you as a shortcut and you will save time. Pass from the dark caves, descend the gloomy crags and in a half-day's course you will meet the land of the humans. The hawk will show you the way.'

'We will go and we will come back along with your son' Garland promised, and as all the animals cheered, the trio came out of the wide clearing, heading towards the adventure and the land of the humans.

* * *

**A/N:** I feel the need to thank **Restrained Freedom** from the depths of my heart for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	11. The Secret Path

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_"__Though heaviness endure the night, _

_Yet joy shall come with break of day:"_

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**11. The Secret Path.**

They walked throughout most of the night, passing through the wide clearings while the silver moonlight bathed them lavishly from above. They rested for a few hours under the roots of the last big tree, and at the first light of the new day, they spotted the hawk above them and they followed her. Ascending the foot of the hill was relatively easy; and with the help of the hawk they easily found the secret path leading through the rocks.

'Attention!' Corolla the fairy warned them. 'Beyond this point the spells of the elves weaken, and they cannot protect us. We are alone.'

'I will not fly farther with you,' the hawk stated 'because my nest is around here. I am afraid to leave my children alone. But from now on, if you continue on the same trail you cannot be lost. At dusk, you will have reached the caves, where you can spend your night. In the morning, descend the cliff on the other side of the hill, and you will find yourselves near your destination.'

'Thank you!' the fairy said, and she flew closer to the hawk, sending her a kiss.

'You're very welcome!' the hawk responded. 'If you want my advice, you should approach the human village during the night; the fairy should not fly too high because of the strong currents near the top; and mind the big, red bird.' And speaking like that, the hawk flew away and disappeared from their sight.

They continued their way on the narrow path silently. From time to time, they would stop and look behind them, but the only thing they could see was the twists and turns of the trail that cut through the tall gray rocks.

'I can understand now why the place here is called "the gray caves"' Garland said. 'There are no trees and the rocks reflect the dark colors of the clouded peak.'

The boy pulled out of his pockets some berries. He had gathered them earlier as he passed near the bushes around the clearing, and now he shared them with his friends.

Was it their imagination, or had the daylight faded earlier among the gray stones? Yet they pressed further, walking the uphill path. The fairy – tired of flying – came and sat on the boy's shoulder, while the little Green sought refuge in his arms. For some time now the soil had turned into hard, sharp stones under his feet, and a cold draft streamed down the treeless peak, freezing him to the bone.

Garland quickened his pace. Before the dim light of the dusk would be lost, he had to reach the caves seeking shelter for the night.

'Visitorssss?' It was coiled in front of them in the middle of the path and raised its head off the ground, its color the same as the stones. 'They rarely passss through these placessss!'

The snake uncoiled slowly and slithered approaching them, sticking its forked tongue out of its slit mouth. The little Green mimicked this action, without abandoning the boy's safe arms.

'Are the caves still far away?' Garland asked, making a back step subconsciously.

'Why do you assssk?'

'The night is coming,' the boy said. 'We do not want to find ourselves on the road in the darkness. The caves will be warmer, and we could rest there until the morning.'

'Hssss!' the snake answered. 'The cavessss are near. Promissss me that you will passss without disturbing my nesssst.'

'We promise!' Garland said and gave his last berry to the snake.

'Thankssss!' said the snake. 'Watch for the lightssss in the darknessss.'

And fast like an arrow it disappeared under the stones.

'What could this possibly mean?' the fairy whispered. The first rain drop fell on her nose.

Garland looked around him. The last light was fading and the clouds around the peak had thickened ominously. He had already felt the first rain drop next to his ear.

'We must hurry!' He clasped his arms around the Green one feeling the warmth of the Dragon's body on his chest, and he walked on the middle of the path while more cold rain drops fell on him.

They walked even when the light was completely lost from their eyes. A wet mist started descending from the top, making them breath with difficulty. The gray rocks around them looked like giant warriors, guarding the uphill road of a high castle. The boy felt insecure without trees around him.

'It cannot be so far away …'

'Look!' The fairy peered from where she had covered her head and shoulders using one of the boy's long curls to protect herself from the drizzling rain and the cold wind. The Green one poked his head out from where he had tucked it under one of his half-opened wings.

'The caves!' In a sharp curve of the trail, they appeared in front of them. Big, dark openings gaped at the side of the path. Garland let down the little Dragon who ran full of curiosity to explore the first cave. 'We have almost arrived at the highest point of the trail,' the boy said. 'We will rest here tonight and tomorrow we will begin the descent at the first light.'

The first cave was very small and cold, so was the second. The third one was filled with the muddy waters of a spring that trickled slowly over the rock. They approached the fourth one, which stood at some distance from the others, and when they came closer, only then saw they the glow.

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	12. The Lonely Man

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_"__Oh, Willow gray, I may not stay _

_Till Spring renew thy leaf;_

_But I will hide myself away, _

_And nurse a lonely grief."_

_ – __Lewis Carroll. _

**12. The Lonely Man.**

The Dragon was the first one who reached the entrance of the cave. So, he was also the first one who saw the lonely man sitting in front of a fire. Scanty wood, apparently gathered from elsewhere, already half-consumed in the glowing flames, and a sizzling half-roasted piece of food welcomed the little Dragon. The reflections of the fire, frolicking on the gray walls, produced a vivid aura illuminating the otherwise gloomy interior of the cave. The smelling of food made the Green's mouth water, and he courageously approached the lonely man, who sat there gaping at him, obviously stunned.

'How did you get here?' The man's voice, deep and full of surprise, showed that the little Dragon was the one creature he never expected to be confronted with.

At that moment Garland appeared at the entrance of the cave, with Corolla still seated on his shoulder. The man frowned, stood up and approached him with long strides. Without even talking to him, he grabbed the boy's hands and almost dragged him close to the fire, examining both his palms carefully. When he realized that what he was looking for was not there, he released the boy and took again his previous position, dealing with turning the food over the flames.

'We are seeking shelter for the night,' the boy said shyly. The stranger did not seem very friendly to them, but neither did he show any sign of a threatening mood. The little Green approached him and started sniffing at him, releasing curious grunts.

The lonely man gestured at the boy to sit and Garland took the position directly opposite to him by the fire.

'He is not yours, is he?' the man finally asked, stretching his hand and caressing the Green's head carefully. For some time, his palm became the subject of sniffing by the little Dragon, and the strange grunts turned into purrs in a while, as the man started scratching the soft scales under his snout.

'He is with me,' Garland merely said 'same as the fairy.'

Corolla had started flying around the boy, taking care neither to come too close to the fire, nor to the lonely man.

'Do you live alone in this cave?' she finally asked him, just to say something. The presence of a stranger at this place, so soon after the cutting of the trees and the kidnapping of the prince of the horses, was a very suspicious case to her. His gaze was too dark to be innocent.

The lonely man avoided answering. He just sliced the food into smaller pieces and gave one to Garland.

'Here! You must be hungry.'

The boy held the food in his hand for a while. He was hungry for sure, as there had been many hours since he had last eaten a decent meal. The few berries he had shared with his friends had not helped his growing hunger, especially after walking all this uphill trail to the caves. However, never in his life had he seen such a kind of food. He brought the piece closer to his nose and sniffed at it carefully. The lonely man left a second small piece in front of the Green one, and the Dragon swallowed it greedily, growling with pleasure. The fairy fluttered around the boy's hand, examining cautiously the piece of food.

'Do not eat it! It is the flesh of an animal!' Corolla cried with aversion, and pushed the boy's hand away from his mouth.

The boy looked at the stranger confused.

'What is this? Is it really the flesh of an animal?'

The stranger just nodded and Garland returned the piece, refusing to eat it.

'I don't want it! All the animals are my friends. It would be a horrible thing for me to taste the flesh of one of my friends' he said, and he slightly pulled himself back from the fire. Corolla sat again on his shoulder scrutinizing carefully the lonely man. His eyes seemed to darken even more than before.

'You are not wrong,' he said dryly and he fed the piece to the little Dragon. Then, he opened his leather saddlebags and pulled out a small loaf of bread, which he shared with the boy and the fairy. The Green one devoured all the pieces of meat and then he curled up near the fire; he covered his head with one of his small wings and lulled himself growling softly.

'Where did you find him?' the stranger asked quietly. For the first time his lips broke slightly into a grimace, resembling to a smile.

'He is bonded with the Queen' the boy said.

The lonely man slightly nodded and remained silent.

'And what about you? What are you doing up here? Have you lived in this cave for long?' the fairy asked again after some time.

The lonely man shook his head.

'I travel northerly' he muttered. 'But obviously, I am not yet ready for this journey. This cave is my shelter for a few days.'

Garland leaned forward, closer to him. The man's darkening eyes impressed him.

'Are you coming from far away?'

The lonely man just nodded, without answering.

'We will stay for this night only' said the boy. Instinctively, he could discern something on this stranger that he liked, so as to start trusting him. 'At first light, we will descend the crags, and continue until the evening when we will reach the human village.'

The lonely man looked at him carefully, but asked him no question.

'We will free the prince of the horses, who has been captured by some humans' the boy continued. 'We will punish the criminals for cutting our trees.'

Again, the lonely man remained silent.

The boy scrutinized him from head to toe. His clothes had once been fine, but he spotted what looked like several cuts, as if he had received many blows from a sword or some other sharp weapon. Nevertheless, he suffered from no wound. A long yew bow was leaning by his side, as well as a sheathed, long and broad sword, wrapped in his coat.

'Do you want to come with us?' the boy asked.

The stranger looked at him enigmatically.

'I mean, if you want to come and help us save the prince of the horses, and then punish all those who have cut down the trees.'

The man shrugged.

'I have to travel further northerly, to places where there are no people and the snow never melts' he replied. Suddenly, he seemed very sad.

The boy felt disappointed. Any help would be welcomed, and the stranger possessed a sword and a bow.

'I thought that you would care for the prince of the horses' Garland grumbled.

The lonely man shrugged again.

'Why should I care for those who have never cared for me?'

'We must always care for one another!' said the boy, and he settled down beside the fire to spend the night. The fairy had fallen asleep some time ago, tucked in a fold of his tunic. The strange thing though was that the little Green one preferred to curl up resting on the side of the lonely stranger, as he remained seated, guarding them like a watchman in the darkness of the night.

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	13. Velvet Wings

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_Like twin cascades on mountain-stair _

_Together wandered down_

_The ripples of the golden hair, _

_The ripples of the brown: _

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**13. Velvet Wings.**

The darkness of the cave prevented the first light of the daybreak, keeping it outside the gray walls. It was the fairy who awoke Garland, tickling his nose with her wings. The boy sat up and rubbed his eyes. The fire had been extinguished and only a few coals were still smoldering beneath the thick ashes. The lonely man was still seated, his back leaning against the cold wall of the cave, his eyes half-closed. The little Dragon dozed in the man's lap, but once he saw the boy, he jumped down, flapped his wings and approached him.

'Well, let's start' Garland said stretching his tunic and using his fingers to comb through his curls. Then, he turned towards the lonely man, who had opened his eyes watching them.

'We thank you for your hospitality.'

The man simply nodded at the boy, otherwise remaining motionless, seated aside. The little Green one growled sorrowfully and sniffed at the man's palm for one last time before he jumped out of the cave and into the daylight.

'I'm so glad we left!' Corolla looked suspiciously behind her, as the opening of the cave vanished beyond a curve of the trail, which had already started going downhill. This silent, lonely man had made a bad impression to the fairy, usually friendly with the others. There was something weird about him.

Garland merely looked at her silently. He had seen the man's eyes misting over, as if a great pain of remembering tortured his soul. The boy followed hastily the little Green who ran and jumped over the broad stones. The edge of the cliff was in front of them.

The end of the trail ended among the sharp, sloping rocks. They found themselves staring at the vast, open landscape unfolding in front of them at the foot of the crags. At a distance, the waters of the wide lake glinted under the morning light, and they could see evidence of the humans' settlements that lined the shore. But those settlements were still far away, and they could not discern any detail. The cliff gaped beneath their feet, formed by the same gray stones as the caves earlier.

'I wonder, why the animals named this place "the gloomy crags",' the boy said pensively.'

'The question is whether we can descent this cliff.' Corolla the fairy fluttered carefully for a while, but the currents of the air were very strong at this altitude, and they swept away her tiny body.

'You had better sit on my shoulder again' Garland suggested. 'I will try to descend little by little, jumping from one rock to the next. I'm neither as light as you are to be drifted by the wind, nor as heavy that I could possibly fall.'

The fairy touched the boy's cheeks with her fingers.

'I suppose you realise how dangerous something like that might be' she said seriously.

Garland nodded.

'If we do not jeopardize ourselves, we will never achieve our purpose.'

He breathed deeply and started descending. At first, he thought the task risky and painful, but after a while his movements became more stable; and as much as he descended from the one rock to the other, he discovered that his effort was not as hard as he had thought.

The little Dragon watched the boy carefully and imitated his movement, sometimes fluttering his wings and some others gliding gently in the air the distance between two rocks. Eventually, the green membranes flew rhythmically, and the body of the little Dragon hovered above the gap.

'Attention!' cried Garland frightened. 'We're still in a high altitude, and if you fall from here I dread to think what might happen.'

'Look at me! I am flying!' The little Green lifted his body even higher. The velvet wings moved faster than before, and the little Dragon directed his body at will. 'I am flying, I fly! I can fly!' he shouted excited, as he went down, skipping some rocks.

Corolla shared his enthusiasm, so as to overlook the danger of the strong currents and fly with him for a while.

'We are flying, we are flying together!' the fairy cried happily. 'Watch us, Garland! Look at us, how we fly!

The boy sat on the ledge of a rock panting, to rest for a while. His two companions continued their joyous descending, flying the one facing the other. The fairy's crystal laughter reached his ears like a magical aura. Garland knew that they had to risk many hazards yet to achieve their purpose, and that they had to face the unknown. But the joy of his friends filled his heart with hope, and he smiled pleased. The cliff still gaped under his feet and the boy wondered how far had they gone. Glancing upwards he found out that they had already managed to get halfway down the crags. And up there, at the edge of the cliff, he saw the lonely man, standing still and watching them.

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	14. Litilla Elskasdaughter

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_"__So shalt thou be the lamp to light his path, _

_What time the shades of sorrow close around."_

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**14. Litilla Elskasdaughter.**

The girl was seated on the stone fence at the front entrance of the estate, when the first group of men appeared from a distance. Young Litilla jumped down and started running towards the kitchens, followed by her puppy.

'Mother, mother! They are here!'

Litilla's mother worked as a cook for the Lord, and at this hour of the day she was always swamped with work in the kitchen, among her pots. The woman's eyes shone for an instant, but soon she realized that her little girl was talking about the woodcutters. They had recently come to the village for logging, as they did every year or so, and the Lord had sent them to the forest a few days ago. The woman just nodded without saying a word, a bitter smile flickering on her lips for a moment and then disappearing under her darkened glance.

Litilla understood that her mother's thought had turned again to the father. If only he would return ... like the other men who had gone to the forest … If only he had gone thus far, and now he was back ...

Months ago, the father had gone to the war, to join the troops for the defense of the capital. Their Lord, while he himself had avoided accompanying his men, had sent into battle all those of the villagers who were capable of fighting, among them Litilla's father. When the Elven army had marched up here, leaving their dense forests for the first time after a century, they had hardly found any resistance from the few village defenders. The Elves had conquered them for a few weeks, luckily without hurting any of the inhabitants. When the war had finally ended, the news had been spread out with the magicians' help, and the elves had returned again to their everlasting trees. But even though the news said that the war was already over, the men had not yet returned.

The girl came out again, followed by her puppy, to watch the woodcutters returning from the forest. The men approached dragging the gigantic trunks tied with many ropes, fastened over their shoulders. Months earlier every horse or any other animal, big and strong enough to lift or pull such a weight, had been requisitioned for the needs of the war. The woodcutters had to rely on their own muscular strength. The wide, double courtyard gates of the estate opened, as more of the Lord's servants ran to the help of the tired woodcutters.

Litilla climbed again on the fence to have a better look, taking her puppy in her lap. From up there she could see everything. Seeing the men approaching, she clasped the puppy in her arms.

'I wish father could return with them ...' she whispered.

The puppy, as if he could understand the yearning in the girl's voice, turned abruptly and licked her at her face tenderly. The little Litilla touched her cheek on the puppy's warm fur.

'But he will be back soon, isn't that so Angam? And then, you will see my joy!'

The men were returning in groups of a few; the first already passing the double, wooden gates of the estate. Most of them were bending under the resistance of the ropes that tied the heavy, giant trunk they carried. At some distance some others followed, and behind them a few other men dragged the weirdest construction Litilla had ever seen. A construction that looked like a large cage, made of green tree branches, twined and tied together.

The puppy barked cheerfully, trying to jump down of her lap, but the girl held him back.

'Here, Angam, here!' she said, and she rubbed the puppy between his ears quietening him.

The cage had already been brought closer, and Litilla could see that it was not empty. Full of curiosity she stood on the fence and placing her hand over her eyes to protect them from the sun, she managed to discern something white moving in the interior. Her curiosity would have made the girl run to greet the men, if not the voices of the servants and the presence of the Lord in the yard, had discouraged her. So, she stood on her privileged post and waited.

'They have brought it, it is here!' a stable-boy cried and ran towards the deserted stables, returning soon after with his hands full of straps and a harness.

The Lord awaited impatiently in the middle of the yard.

'At last!' he shouted, urging his servants to hurry up. It was he who had sent the woodcutters deep in the forest ordering them to cut as many of the gigantic trunks as they could, and bring him one of the famous elven horses. 'I am the first and the only man in the district who possesses such a wonderful acquisition!'

With his eyes sparkling of greed – the timber of so large and robust trees would bring a great amount of gold in his chest – he rubbed his hands together with glee.

The moment that this curious, wooden structure was led into the entrance of the estate, Litilla found out that it was indeed a cage. And in there, was locked the most beautiful creature the girl had ever seen in her life. A little, white foal with an unruly mane and a thick tail. The foal looked sorrowfully at the outside world from behind the bars of his prison, and Litilla would swear later that she saw tears rolling down his white muzzle.

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support, as well as to **Nysvehj**, who has offered the idea of the names (Litilla, Elska, Angam), and the inspiration for Corolla's existence.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	15. Prisoner

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_Look into those deep eyes, _

_Stirred to unrest by breath of coming strife, _

_Until a longing in thy soul arise …_

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**15. Prisoner.**

'I disagree!' the girl scowled.

'Horses are supposed to be tamed and submissive' was the mother's statement, as she was kneading hastily to bake the bread before noon.

'But the foal seems very unhappy.' Litilla could not bear the sight of the cage, which the servants had abandoned in the middle of the yard during the whole morning.

'It will get used to it!' was the strict answer.

The girl went out and watched the men from a distance. At least they had offered food and water to the foal placing the forage carefully through the ajar door of the cage, which they had closed secure soon after.

'I still disagree with this situation,' Litilla talked to her puppy. 'What do you think?' The puppy merely barked his disapproval and the girl Litilla was sure that he agreed with her.

They had left the beautiful creature in the cage, in the middle of the yard and under the hot sun during all morning. Many had gathered around to take a better look at it.

Some of them even passed their hands through the wooden bars to touch it, but the foal pulled back, not standing to endure the indignity. Although the servants had given water and oats to the foal, Litilla had noticed that it had neither tasted its food, nor drank of its water. Obviously, the crowding around it was something that bothered it. The whole morning had been spent this way, until the Lord had ordered his servants to drive the people away. But even when the people had left, the foal declined to drink and eat.

'Indeed, this spectacle is very sad' Litilla said to her puppy, that rubbed the side of his torso against her legs.

The servants opened the cage and tried all together to pull the foal out, but it kicked disgruntled by the difficult situation that had befallen it.

Litilla was not one of those who had approached the cage. She had watched the foal's obvious dissatisfaction from a distance, but when she saw it doling kicks around and trying to avoid its gaolers, she could not restrain a giggle of amusement. The servants finally managed to put the headstall through the foal's mouth and around its proud head, and their Lord approached rubbing his hands pleased.

'Nobody else can boast about a similar asset' he laughed. 'I am the first and the only one to have a horse like this one in the whole of the region.'

He grabbed the bridle from the hands of his servants. The men minded, standing off and thus saving themselves a few kicks, as their lord tried to tame the foal. But it kept on kicking and jerking as the bridle in its maw got tightened more and more, until it bled. Finally, a strong kick sent the Lord rolling away, and the runaway foal started running uncontrollably up and down on the yard.

'Hurry up, catch it!' the Lord commanded as he stood dusting his clothes, and his servants rushed to obey.

In a short while, the magnificent animal was dragged in its cage again, but during its rage it managed to crack two bars with a few, powerful kicks.

'Bring the iron cage!' the Lord shouted. 'The one we keep for the wolves!'

Later, the sun had already set and dusk had covered the human village, wearing the afternoon away. The yard had been left empty, apart from the girl and her puppy, hidden aside among the shadows. Litilla distinguished clearly the foal, its white mane shining during the thin light in the gloaming. It stood in the gray iron cage, behind the closed door, locked with a thick chain. The girl approached timidly. The servants had removed the hard bridle, but from the foal's snout was still dripping a liquid. Litilla noticed it was tears.

'If only my dad were here...'

The girl entered one of her palms through the bars, and let the inconsolable foal sniff in it. And in sympathy, the puppy joined in the only way he knew how. His throat released one prolonged howl, mimicking the same mournful sound that he often heard coming from the woods.

'Why don't you eat, cutey? Why don't you drink your water?' The girl sighed. 'I wish I could break this chain and let you run back to the forest …'

'Litilla!' Her mother's voice interrupted her reverie.

The foal stuck its wounded snout in the girl's open palm. Its wet eyes stared at her full of bitterness.

'If my dad were here he would have never permitted them to bind and lock you' Litilla whispered.

'Yip, yip!' the puppy agreed.

But her mother stood in the kitchen door waiting impatiently, and the girl had to go.

'I'll be back soon,' she promised the foal. 'As soon as all the others go to sleep, I will try to break this thick chain.' She stretched her other hand and she stroked gently its white, velvety muzzle. The foal did not try to avoid her touch. 'That is what my dad would do!'

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	16. Approaching The Human Village

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_The night drew onwards: thin and blue _

_The evening mists arise_

_To bathe the thirsty land in dew, _

_As erst in Paradise – _

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**16. Approaching The Human Village.**

The dusk found them crossing the plain towards the human village. They had just left behind them the wetlands by the shores of the lake, heading towards a nearby grove. From the rocks above, before even descending the crags, they had noticed that grove at a short distance from the first houses. Now, as they were coming closer, lit candles could be seen from the windows and wisps of smoke escaping the chimneys of the thatched roofs.

'We should approach very carefully' Corolla suggested. 'The humans must not see us.'

The moment they sought refuge among the first trees, the full moon rose over the cliffs. Albeit, within the grove the thick darkness awaited them. They walked blindly, when they found their path blocked by some dense bushes.

'For some time now, we have lost our trail' Garland grumbled.

The Green one started scratching the bushes with his talons sniffing intently around him, when among the foliage, all three of them discerned a pair of shining eyes.

'A wolf!' Garland was thrown into astonishment.

'A ferret!' Corolla fluttered excited.

'A fox!' The little Green guessed.

'A fox, but let's not make this into an issue' the fox answered. 'And speak quietly, please. The dogs of the humans have very good hearing.'

'Since you are so much afraid, why have you come so close to the village?' Garland asked puzzled.

'Hm!' the fox answered. 'The village is full of henhouses, and in there, many plump chickens are sleeping. The only problem is that the dogs have a very sharp hearing. But what are you doing here, so far away from the elven forest?'

'The humans have captured the little prince of the horses. We are here to free him' Garland said. 'Do you want to come with us?'

The fox gave him a sly smile.

'I would gladly come with you' she stated inclining her head. 'It would be my honour if I could help the lords of the horses. But you know, the dogs in this village have a very sharp hearing. I hope you understand …'

'All right, all right, we have got your point!' Corolla flew near the pointy muzzle of the fox, as she came out of her hiding place among the bushes. 'At least, could you show us the trail?'

'Something even better,' the fox answered, always ready to serve. 'I can lead you to the first houses. But you will speak quietly, please, or not at all. You know, the dogs ... '

'We know, we know!' all three answered, and they followed the fox up close.

The first houses were right in front of them, the lanterns were still lit and some shadows moved to and fro in the yards.

'We have to wait for all of them to sleep, we must not be noticed.' Garland was reluctant. They had come thus far determined, but how would they find the prince of the horses? How would they free him?

'I will leave you here' the fox whispered. 'The dogs, you know …'

'Thank you!' answered all three, as the fox disappeared behind the dark trees.

'I have an idea! I will fly secretly in the village and I will search for our prince. I am so minuscule that no one will pay attention to me' Corolla suggested.

'I can fly too' the Green one said proudly. 'After all, I am a Dragon! I am afraid of no one.'

'Perhaps it is better to let go the fairy' Garland preferred. 'Take care not to be seen; once you find the prince, return immediately.' He said to Corolla. 'We will wait here until the lights go out, and all the villagers go to sleep.'

The fairy flew carefully towards the village and disappeared behind the first houses. She strolled around the half-opened windows watching the humans eating their meager supper; she passed through empty yards and dark stalls; she examined a few henhouses, where plumpy chickens were already fast asleep, and finally, she reached the yard of the Lord's estate. Some dogs sniffed carefully in the air, some cats just meowed by the moonlight, and a young girl followed her mother into the kitchen along with her puppy.

In the middle of the yard stood the grey cage and the shadows hid the interior. The fairy flew over there very carefully. She had never met the prince of the horses – he was so young and there were many years since the last time Corolla had visited the wide clearings – but she recognized him immediately.

'Hvitr, my prince!' She gave an elegant curtsy in the air, and soon after the typical elven wish. 'May the stars protect you.'

The foal whinnied softly. He shoved his white muzzle between the bars to greet the fairy.

'Your beautiful mother has sent us, we are here to free you!' Corolla the fairy stated. Then, she slipped her slim body through the iron bars, she patted the foal with her wings, and examined carefully the interior of the cage.

'Drink the water of the humans, my prince, and eat their oats to gain strength' she told him. 'The deep darkness of the night is coming, and you must be very strong to run.'

Then, she exited the cage the same way she had entered. She flew over the cage roof and there she gathered in her palms as many moonbeams as she was able to. She poured a few of them in the cup of Hvitr's water and kept the rest hidden under her belt.

'We will be back later, when the veils of the night will be darker, and the humans will have gone to sleep' she said to the foal and she flew away.

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	17. Fox In The Henhouse!

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_No life is vain : each hath his place assigned :_

_Do thou thy task, and leave the rest to God. _

_– __Lewis Carroll. _

**17. Fox In The Henhouse!**

Corolla returned to the grove where her friends waited hidden behind the thick bushes.

'It will be easy, so easy!' she shouted clapping her hands excited. 'The only thing we have to do is to sneak in the Lord's yard, and open the cage.'

'Cage?' Garland frowned. The boy had once heard his teachers talking about some bad human habits. He knew very well that a cage is usually sealed by a strong lock. 'How do we suppose to open it?' he wondered.

The fairy sat on the little Green's head, minding not to touch his short, pointy horns that glinted in the afterglow.

'I'm sure we will find a way' she answered optimistically. Truth is, the cage is made of iron … and it is tightly locked with a thick chain ...

A panic-stricken Garland looked at her with wide open eyes. The only thing he carried was his wooden flute; and of course, no one would expect him to break a chain using a wooden flute.

'I might be able to breathe fire and melt the iron' the little Dragon suggested, and the very instant he focused on accomplishing his words, and released small puffs of smoke from his nostrils. But, despite him focusing on breathing fire and his many efforts, the puffs of smoke failed to become a flame.

'We need a weapon' Garland said. 'Perhaps we will manage to take one from the humans.'

'If you ever make it to approach the Master's house!'

The ironically spoken words made them turn abruptly their heads. And there, among the trees, they spotted the fox's yellow eyes shining through the shadows.

'It is very easy' Corolla stated. 'As soon as the humans turn off their lights and fall asleep …'

'Once the humans turn off the lights, the dogs patrol in the yards.' The fox's tone did not allow anyone to challenge her words. 'Not to mention that there are night-guards, watching the Lord's yard and warehouses during the night. There is no hope of approaching there without being spotted; let alone of freeing his precious horse.'

Those words made Corolla scowl.

'I was there a few moments ago,' she grumbled 'and the Lord's yard was empty, except for the cage imprisoning the foal, of course.'

'Cage?' Eyes closed and squinted, the fox pulled back her ears and her whiskers flickered. 'Do you mean the big one, that one made of iron, where they keep the wolves imprisoned?' Her pelt shivered in the remembrance of the gray cage.

The humans had the bad habit of killing instantly her relatives, the foxes – oh, their dogs were too good in this – but the wolves … The wolves were another case. They would be held captive for long, until the humans put two or three of them in the cage; then they would be brought to the big city across the lake, be handed over to the guard there, and the humans received a money fee. Lately, of course, the humans had been involved in hunting and killing one another, and so many wolves had been spared. However, her relatives the foxes have not had such good luck.

'I'm sorry' the fox sighed sadly, throwing around her upset glances. 'Even if you could reach the yard of the Lord without being spotted, it is difficult to break that cage.'

All three of them looked at her perplexed. They had come so close to the end of their mission. They couldn't just abandon without trying because the fox said so.

'We must go!' Garlad stated decidedly, and the little Green one growled in agreement. 'We need to reach to the Lord's courtyard, break the chain of the cage and free the young prince!'

'Oh, sure you will!' The fox snorted certain for the failure of such an endeavor. 'Regarding the opening of the cage … I don't know what you could do about it. To get though to the Lord's yard without being spotted by his guards ... maybe ... if ...' The fox stood thoughtful for a while. 'Wait right here where you are, well hidden; and once you will hear the barking of the dogs and the yelling of the humans, then run to the yard carefully. I wish you good luck.'

'What do you mean by "the barking of the dogs and the yelling of the humans"?' Hearing the fox's statement, Garland had his suspicions.

'Well, you see,' the fox explained, 'I have decided to help you.'

Corolla patted the fox's long snout.

'We don't want to endanger you. I'm sure we will find another way …'

'I'm sure you will not make ten steps into the village without being spotted by the guards' the fox stated. 'I know how to lure them away from you. Make sure to take advantage of it.'

'But you were scared!' Garland said stunned.

'I'm still scared,' the fox answered 'but without any risk, nothing can be accomplished.'

The little Green Dragon stood on his hind legs, fluttered his wings and greeted the fox's braveness.

'We will never forget this' said both Garland and Corolla moved. 'Try to lure them away, but do not endanger yourself.'

'Don't worry, I know of these things' the fox smiled a sly smile and vanished in the darkness, covered behind the trees.

* * *

**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	18. Rescue

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

* * *

**Elfland.**

_One of the secrets of life is _

_that all that is really worth the doing _

_is what we do for others._

_–__Lewis Carroll. _

**18. Rescue.**

Litilla sat up on the bed and put the bedding aside very carefully. Mother was fast asleep by her side. The girl pressed softly the puppy's muzzle with her fingers, preventing him from barking. Then she stood up holding Angam and light-stepped towards the kitchen. Her mother, tired of the long day's many and heavy tasks, did not even move. A long, sharp knife they used to cut the meat came into the girl's possession, the door latch was lifted, the hinges squeaked and Litilla dressed only in her nightgown stepped on the cold slabs of the yard.

To her right, she spotted the first guard at a distance, sitting in front of the grain storage depot. The second one was dozing by the locked, double gates of the fence. If she walked slowly and carefully they might not see her.

Litilla let her puppy stand on the slabs, whispering for him to stay silent. The foal waited patiently in his cage for their help, and these two were his only friends in the entire village. The puppy was very clever; he realised that the only thing he shouldn't do was to start barking.

The silence of the night was occasionally interrupted by a lonely cricket, or by the night bird, croaking from the roof. The girl and the puppy approached the cage with light steps. Fortunately, the closest guard had not spotted them so far. The foal passed his wet snout through the bars. Litilla stroked his thick mane, and whispered him two friendly words. If she managed to open the lock of the chain, then she had to find a way to open the heavy, solid-wood, double gates of the fence, as well as to fool the guards. But she didn't like to think about it yet. Let her open the cage first …

She was ready to use the kitchen knife on the chain, when distant barking and loud men voices disturbed the silence of the night. The puppy got excited, but he remained close to the girl. A few lights could be seen at a distance, doors opened and closed again, and the guards awoke.

'Go to your mother, little girl!' one of them shouted, as he passed by her running. 'You can see the foal tomorrow. There must be a danger nearby!'

Litilla saw the guards abandoning their posts and running away from the yard, towards the place they kept the animals. The girl's heart throbbed. Now! If she could break the chain, the exit gates of the yard had remained unguarded. The foal would manage to escape.

She was ready to use her knife, when she saw them …

A boy, a small peculiar animal with four legs and wings and a … was it really a fairy, this minuscule creature that flew towards her?

The boy crossed the yard running faster than an arrow and stood in front of her.

'The knife!' he ordered. 'Give it to me!'

Litilla obeyed silently, stunned from the unique spectacle she saw. The boy, with speed and force – his hands were moving so fast that they were hardly be seen – worked her knife against the chain.

'Hurry up Garland!' the minuscule, flying figure cried. She could only have been a fairy, brought straight from the elven forest, for sure. Litilla had once heard her grandmother talk about tiny elves like this one, but back then, she had not believed the old woman.

'Yip, yip!' the puppy barked with his hackles up.

The four-legged, winged creature stood in front of it and sniffed at its nose. Angam froze speechless, then he turned abruptly and sought protection in Litilla's arms.

'A Dragon!'

The girl almost fainted. A few months earlier she had watched the fierce battle of the royal Red against the elven Golden one over the skies of the lake. They both spurted jets of flame, ripping the air with their cries, while their hot blood burned the earth wherever it dribbled. The girl had been so frightened that during the next weeks she had been unable to sleep at nights, and her mother had taken her into her own bed.

'Hurry up, Garland!' the fairy cried. 'We have not much time, somebody might come and …'

'I cannot make it … I cannot open the lock or break the chain …'

The boy's voice was heard full of desperation and the girl clenched her puppy in her arms.

'Step aside!' a man's voice commanded, obviously accustomed to be obeyed immediately, and Litilla jumped up scared.

The boy – the fairy had call him Garland – moved out of the way, holding the broken kitchen knife. The man – covered with a dark cloak – unsheathed a long and broad sword, stuck it between the chain and the lock, and the next moment the chain broke as if it was made of reed. The door cage opened, and the foal trotted freely on the tiled yard.

'The lonely man!' Corolla exclaimed.

'You came!' Garland rushed up and hugged the stranger. 'I knew that you would help us, I was sure that you would follow us!'

The little Dragon released an amount of dark cloud from his nostrils and fluttered happily around the man. The lonely stranger lifted his sword, which shone under the moonlight with red, iridescent glows, and he sheathed it back in its scabbard.

'Wow!' Garland admired, abandoning the broken knife fallen on the slabs. 'When I grow up, I will have a blade like this one.'

'Let's hope not' the lonely man answered. 'This sword is a heavy burden for a man to bear, as it is my inheritance.'

From the back side of the courtyard, a fuss was heard to approach; lights, the voices of many men, and the barking of the dogs.

'Hurry up!' Corolla fluttered upset. 'Let us open the double gates!'

'They are already opened' the lonely man stated, and he started running towards the exit.

The foal, the little Dragon, the fairy and the boy ran after him. Litilla and her puppy remained astounded in the middle of the yard.

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**A/N:** A great "thank you" to **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

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Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	19. Punishment

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_With crimson-dashed and eager jaws, _

_Me, still in ignorance of the cause, _

_Unknowing what I broke of laws?_

_–__Lewis Carroll. _

**19. Punishment.**

The Lord grabbed Litilla by her small shoulders.

'What have you seen, little girl? Who was here?' He shook her impatiently, to make her talk.

But overwhelmed by her fear and with wide open eyes, the only thing the girl managed to do was to point at the empty cage. The doors of the estate opened and more servants started appearing in the yard, one after the other.

'They are running away!'

'My horse!'

'Hurry! Arrest them!'

All together the men ran towards the exit that had been left wide open. The puppy barked and Litilla, as if awakening from a deep sleep, followed them. The pale gleam of the moon was reflected on the waters of the lake and illumined the group who, running to escape, was clearly recognizable by its pursuers.

The foal, free, rushed galloping towards the plain that separated the human village from the fringes of the elven forest. After him the lonely man followed, and then the little Dragon along with Garland; Corolla with her wings folded, hooked up to a long curl of the boy. The nearby grove could have possibly offered them coverage, but the frenzied foal had already galloped onto the plain.

'Thieves, thieves!' the Lord cried panting. 'My horse! Stop them! I offer a fee to anyone who will arrest them!'

The foal galloped in front of all and the lonely man followed with all the others behind him, when they heard the voice of the Lord. Suddenly, the lonely man stopped and turned towards their pursuers, his eyes ablaze with anger.

'All of you, behind me!' he ordered his team, and the next moment he stood in front offering them cover and waiting for the Lord and his servants.

The dogs were the first to rush against them barking. But as they smelled at the lonely man, they retreated terrified.

'Attack!' the Lord urged his dogs, but they ran away with their tails between their legs. 'Thief! I want my horse back!' The Lord unsheathed his sword and encouraged his men to gather around him. The servants, armed with knives, bats and pitchforks obeyed their master.

The lonely man stood with his arms crossed on his chest and glared at the Lord.

'Who is the man calling me a thief? The one who took what did not belong to him?'

Garland lifted the little Green in his arms and stood beside the lonely man. He might have a sword in his possession, but he seemed unwilling to use it.

'Why have you cut the big trees from the elven forest? You had no right to be there!' the boy demanded from the Lord.

'If you had such a great need for timber, you could cut form the grove near your village' Corolla added, seated on the boy's shoulder and showing her fist threateningly.

'There are no such big trees in the grove' the Lord answered greedily. 'These giant trunks will make me rich. I will be able to cover sufficiently all the expenses I had to do because of the war.' Grimacing angrily, he took a step forward, brandishing his sword. 'Thieves, all of you! You sneaked into my house, you stole my horse! I will punish all of you, I will …'

At that exact moment, a loud "splash!" and the sound of enormous wings lifting a huge body in the air were heard from the wetlands. And above them appeared flying the great, red bird that they had often heard about.

'What is this?' the men cried in panic.

'Gods … help us!'

'Run for your dear lives!'

The servants all together started running, abandoning their master alone.

'Where are you going? Wait for me!' he ordered in panic, as he dropped his sword, turned his back, and started running faster than the others.

At that moment, the lonely man lifted his hand, and a ruby ray of energy escaped his palm, setting on fire the Lord's pants, and making him roll in the mud to extinguish the flames.

'You got what you deserved!' the fairy Corolla laughed at him. 'That will teach you, never to come back to the forest to cut our trees and steal our horses.'

Garland laughed until his sides ached, and the little Green, looking up at the giant, red bird, released curious throaty sounds.

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**A/N:** I want to thank **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	20. Moonbeams and Star-kisses

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_'__Tis a secret, and so let us whisper it low – _

_And the name of the secret is Love!_

_For I think it is Love,_

_For I feel it is Love, _

_For I'm sure it is nothing but Love!_

_–__Lewis Carroll. _

**20. Moonbeams and Star-kisses.**

Despite her fear, the young Litilla had not followed the servants as they ran back towards the village. Looking up in the moonlight sky she recognized the royal Red Dragon, as she had seen him a few months ago. But fortunately for her, it seemed that he had no intention of landing, but continued flying over the plain. The girl let her puppy stand on the ground and approached the others.

The foal had ceased his frantic galloping, and now, he was returning quietly towards the group. But as soon as he saw the girl, he approached her trotting. Litilla stretched her hand to stroke him, and the beautiful creature touched his muzzle in her palm whinnying gently. The girl hugged the foal's neck, and hid her face in his thick mane.

'I'm so glad you are free!' Unwillingly, her eyes filled with the tears of joy, and the salty, crystal dew-drops ran down her cheeks in abundance.

'Yip, yip!'

The puppy expressed his cheers too jumping and capturing once again the attention of the little Green who approached sniffing Angam at his nose. Yet, this time the sniffing was mutual. Garland came close and shook Litilla's hand.

'I am so glad that Hvitr, the prince of the horses, met a good friend like you in this difficult moment of his life' the boy said. 'It is my honour to make the acquaintance of such a brave human girl.'

Corolla the fairy, moved to tears, kissed Litilla. Then, she flew in front of her wiping her eyes.

'Human girl, we will be eternally grateful to you for the company and comfort you have offered to our prince. Accept these moonbeams as a small token gift for your contribution to his rescue.'

And speaking like that, she filled Litilla's palm with the shiny moonbeams that she had gathered earlier on the cage roof. Then standing on the back of the little Green Dragon, Corolla started unbraiding her golden hair, revealing what was hidden within. Soon after she presented two bright objects that shone in the dimness of the night.

'Here,' the fairy said with emphasis. 'They were kept for some special occasion, but I think that now it is time to gift them.'

Resting on her palm shone two tiny stars, like those Litilla observed shining high in the sky during the nights.

'One for you, little girl' the fairy said, and flying around Litilla's face, pressed one of them on her cheek. 'It is a star-kiss! Keep it forever and it will protect you.' Soon after, she turned towards the lonely man who had remained silent nearby. Flying up to his face, she stuck the second star-kiss on his cheek. 'And here is one for you' she told him. 'To lighten your path and keep you safe at the cold north; one day, may it brighten your way back home.' Then she kissed the man's other cheek.

The little Green Dragon, abandoning his pleasantries with the puppy, ran and jumped on the lonely man's arms licking him under his jaw with his forked tongue. For the first time the man's eyes shone, and his lips broke into a small smile.

'Thank you' he answered heartily. 'I shall never forget you, any of you. Wherever I go, I will always remember you. And some day … maybe …'

Garland approached him and hugged the man from his waist.

'May the stars protect you' he wished him. 'Without your help, we wouldn't have managed.' Then, he looked at him seriously in the eye. 'One day, when you will be back, promise me that you will seek your friends!'

The lonely man held both boy's shoulders.

'I usually do not make friendships, but then again, I am glad I leave behind such trustworthy friends. Maybe, someday, our paths will cross again.'

And speaking like that he hid the valuable star-kiss in his belt, he wrapped himself with his dark cloak, and he turned his gaze skyward in a silent summons. The big, red bird landed behind him and looked at all the others with his vermilion eyes. Despite his wild appearance – his head and back down to the length of his tail was full of brilliant, white spikes, just like the Green one's – he seemed very friendly. His long neck leaned on the earth, and he sniffed at the little Green. Then, he raised his head and uttered a joyful trumpet in the air.

'The royal Red' Garland and Corolla uttered in unison, as the magnificent Dragon turned his attention towards them, breathing hot air above their hair.

The girl Litilla captured his awareness and he directed his mind to her. He stretched his long neck and touched Litilla's brow, then his melodic voice sounded into her mind, his words meant only for her.

_'Little one, grief has filled your heart because of the absence of your father. But I tell you, while I was flying above the clouds, I saw the men coming back home. Your father will be here, in a day or two.'_

The lonely man climbed on the back of his red Dragon.

'We would like to ask you not to mention our presence to anyone else. Protect the little Green one, and stay together, forever faithful to one another.'

Then, the great Dragon lifted his bulk form in the air, he circled twice above them flying, and he headed towards North. Garland, the fairy Corolla, the little Green Dragon, the foal, Litilla and the puppy remained silent, watching them fly away in the night sky, until both were lost from their sight.

'Ultimately, the lonely man was not as lonely as we had thought at the beginning' Corolla stated.

They all turned towards the girl.

'I guess I have to go back to the village' Litilla muttered. 'My mother will be looking for me, and she will have gone mad from anxiety.' The puppy rubbed up against her legs.

The foal touched her brow once again with his snout. The fairy gave her cheek another kiss, and Garland imitated Corolla timidly. The Green one released a small cloud of smoke from his nostrils and fluttered his wings.

'We will never forget you. Perhaps our paths will cross again' they told her. 'May the stars protect you and your puppy.'

Without the threat of pursuers, the triumphant party was no longer in a hurry, and rather than scaling the crags, they chose to return by the longer path that circled around the foothills. The giant pines welcomed them, as they passed among them proudly on their way to the elven forest. Tired from their adventure, and happy for its successful conclusion, they paused here and there, playing with the small furry or feathered inhabitants of the forest, and telling them all about their adventure.

Suddenly, a group of Elves appeared marching rapidly towards them on the path. The Queen and her guards, all crazy with worry, had come ready to spread across the plains, looking for the little, Green Dragon.

Once the little Green saw his chosen one, he ran and sought for her hug and caress. Then, he started flying around her in a demonstration of his new capabilities. The fair Queen, joyful and relieved, turned back to the wide clearings. And there, on the outskirts of the clearings, they met the Queen of the horses with her escort, and Hvitr trotted happily about his mother. Garland pulled his wooden flute from his belt and started playing joyously, while Corolla began her jubilant dancing. The guards and the escort of the Queen united their voices in a song of joy and celebration started.

All the inhabitants of the forest took part in the celebration. Faelnirv flowed in abundance from the flasks of the elves, who shared it with all the other creatures. The moon cast its soft, silver moonbeams on the clearing illuminating from above the elven festivities.

'I must be dizzy ...' Corolla stumbled and was caught by a tall stalk of a nearby flower, to avoid falling. 'I think I can see a strange, green bird with horns and four legs in front of me!'

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**A/N: **Yeah, Corolla is dizzy because she has drunk too much Faelnirv. :D

I want to thank **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

* * *

Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.


	21. Epilogue

**A/N: **This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

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**Elfland.**

_And, in my dream, with silvery voice, _

_She said, or seemed to say, _

_"Youth is the season to rejoice" – _

_–Lewis Carroll. _

**Epilogue**

**or**

**What Happened To The Heroes Of This Fairytale.**

The little Green Dragon and the Queen of the Elves returned in the capital of the Elven forest, and they spent all the following months together. The Dragon grew older, he chose for himself the beautiful and ancient name Fírnen, and he became one of the most magnificent of his kind that ever existed. The Queen ruled the Elves for many years, and when, finally, she got tired of the state affairs, she chose a younger elf as her successor. Once she was free from her obligations, she traveled with her Dragon to distant and unknown lands. There, she met a dear friend of hers, a Dragon Rider who had abandoned the country years earlier and had devoted himself to raising the Dragons. The ex-Queen and the Dragon Rider decided to stay together for the rest of their lives and unite their efforts on Dragon upbringing. Firnen found his mate there too, and nesting with her, he fathered many young Dragonlings.

The boy Garland lived for many years in the Queen's court studying the arts and the sciences. He became an expert in archery, albeit the long peace prevented him of being an active warrior. He also became a great flute performer and a poet. When he grew older, he decided to travel all over the world, and later he came to be a successful writer of fiction. He scripted and published various stories about an imaginative world, called Europe. The following generations admired and honoured him, singing about his achievements under the Menoa tree, during the centennial ceremonies of the Agaetí Blödhren.

Corolla the fairy returned to her home by the blue lake in the elven forest. She still lives there stroking the lilies, flying along with the bees and dancing under the moonlight during the nights. She makes acquaintances with the playful squirrels, and gathers moonbeams and star-kisses for some future use.

The foal and his mother, followed by the other two mares, united with the rest of the herd, and they grazed happily for years in the wide clearings of the elven forest. One day, Hvitr became the proud king of the horses, and the father of many fine princes and princesses.

Several days after the foal's escape, young Litilla and her mother welcomed her father's return along with the other village men who had survived the war. She grew under their doting care, and when she became of age, there was no other girl more graceful and beautiful than she. After all, no one else possessed as a dowry moonbeams and a star-kiss. So, the Lord saw her married with his only son, and the young couple live happily ever after.

The puppy became the best guard of the estate and filled the yards with many little puppies and hidden bones.

The fox and her relatives migrated to more secure places, where the chickens were fatter and the dogs duller.

The Lord never again dared to even approach the elven forest or cut down its trees. And he redeemed himself by announcing and volunteering reforestation projects around the lake; thus creating new jobs in the village and providing many beautiful, shady groves, which he used later as resorts, building bungalows and earning too much money from the tourists.

The lonely man traveled far northerly, He built a castle there and lived away from all the other people, along with his red Dragon, for a few years. Finally, when they both got bored with their loneliness, they returned home. There, the lonely man met an old acquaintance of his, who meanwhile had become the Queen of the humans, and he stayed by her side, protecting and helping her in ruling her kingdom.

And they all lived happily ever after.

**The End. **

_Yet, a very important thing is that all our heroes kept occasional meetings during the many years that followed, helping one another_ _whenever needed, and taking part in new adventures. _

_But this might be another fairy-tale. _

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**A/N:** I want to thank **Restrained Freedom** for his constant help and support.

Also, I would like to thank all of you (and you are so many) who read and, either reviewed this fairy-tale, or not. Especially those who were with me since the very beginning. It was amazing that people from all over the world honoured me with their time, trust and support.

My friends from the United Kingdom, friends from France, Germany, Italy and the US of A, friends from the Orient and the distant China, I would like to pass a message to all of you, as well as to those who will read this story in the future. The years come and go the one after the other, for the most of us passing in haste. Every new day shines for a while like a bright, flaming torch, and then its light fades leaving behind us a long, dark line of extinguished candles. And the youth lasts for such a short period of time. The child becomes a man or a woman, leaving aside the fantasy of the fairy-tales. And then the everyday affairs, struggles and pains demand from us to grow up, to grow older, to age.

**Let's keep the innocent child we once have been deep in our souls! Let's keep the dreams of our fairy-tales! Let's feel young forever! **

This fairy-tale ends today, as a new year in my life starts. You see, today it is my birthday, (and any review I will receive will be my birthday present). :D

January 3, 2014

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Thank you for reading.


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